Abram Chasins - 3 Keyboard Karikatures Op. 6 (audio + sheet music)

Abram Chasins (August 17, 1903 – June 21, 1987) was an American composer, pianist, piano teacher, lecturer, musicologist, music broadcaster, radio executive and author.

Born in Manhattan, New York, he attended the Ethical Culture schools and undertook additional studies through the Columbia University Extension School. He studied piano with Ernest Hutcheson and composition with Rubin Goldmark at the Juilliard School of Music before proceeding to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where he undertook further piano studies with Józef Hofmann. In 1931 he studied music analysis with Sir Donald Tovey in London.

Chasins' career as a pianist lasted from 1927 until 1947. He gave many solo recitals and performed with major orchestras in the United States, Canada, South America and Europe. On January 1, 1929, he made his debut playing his Piano Concerto No 1 with the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Ossip Gabrilowitsch. He also gave the premiere performance of his Second Piano Concerto in March 1933, again with the Philadelphia Orchestra, this time conducted by Leopold Stokowski.

From 1926 to 1935 Chasins taught piano as a member of the faculty of the Curtis Institute. He was associated with the radio station WQXR from 1941 to 1965, becoming the music director in 1946. His own radio series, "Piano Pointers", ran from 1932 to 1939 and he used his E flat minor Prelude as the program's theme.

In 1949 he married Constance Keene, a pianist and former student of his, with whom he performed and recorded piano duos. In 1972 he joined the University of Southern California as musician-in-residence, and reorganized the student-run radio station KUSC into a channel for classical and modern music. He retired in 1977, and died of cancer at his home in Manhattan on June 21, 1987.

Chasins wrote over 100 compositions, mostly for the piano. His Three Chinese Pieces (1920s) were performed by celebrated pianists including Josef Lhévinne, Józef Hofmann, William Kapell and Shura Cherkassky, and in its orchestrated version was the first American work to be performed by Toscanini with the New York Philharmonic. The "Concert Paraphrase on Strauss's 'Artist's Life'" is among his best works for two pianos, four hands, and his 24 Preludes for Piano (1928) continue to be used as teaching pieces.

He also wrote a number of books on music and musicians, including Speaking of Pianists (1958), The Van Cliburn Legend (1959), The Appreciation of Music (1966), Music at the Crossroads (1972) and Stoki, the Incredible Apollo (1978), a biography of Leopold Stokowski.

(Wikipedia)

Please take note that the audio AND sheet music ARE NOT mine. Change the quality to a minimum of 480p if the video is blurry.

(Performance by: Ernest Hin-Leung So)

[ernestso]

Thank you all of enjoying this performance! This was a live recording taped (I believe from a recital in Tel Aviv?) by an audience and wasn't a professional studio recording, which explains the spotty quality. Nevertheless I believe this is the first recording of the entirety of the set. I had a blast learning and playing it, and might pick them up again later on. I have the actual first edition of the score too. These pieces were published separately and not as a set.

[DeadBlackmageguy]

Brilliant!

I simply kompletely kannot believe I have never even heard of this masterful komposer.

[gabrielcutrone]

I love how each theme has an unpredictable note, to keep it smooth and unique.

[nickk]

I hear Rachmaninoff in the first piece. A little like Debussy/Ravel in the 2nd. The 3rd somewhat like a Chopin etude. This is my first listening. He is a marvelous composer indeed. His chinese pieces are very fine as well. I am now reading his book "Speaking of Pianists". I highly recommend it. I had no idea how special Abram Chasins was until now. He was married to a marvelous pianist Constance Keene.

[jackcurley]

Damn the first charicature is so hyper romantic, it’s like all of Rach’s most lush moments poured into one miniature. Can be a little much at times but I still like it a lot :D

[MrMinorChord]

"superb disdain of technical difficulties" sounds just my style. XD

[lingromanzecool]

The pieces are amazing, but the outcome will be better if the audio recording volume is set to be lower becuase there is a lot of dissonance.

[AsrielKujo]

first sounds like rachmaninoff, second like godowsky and last like a mix of early scriabin, godowsky, chopin and rach!
haha